Commercial dog walkers must follow new law

CJ Miller, a professional dog walker, greets Gunga at Crissy Field. A new S.F. law requires dog walkers to carry permits, follow safety regulations and walk eight or fewer dogs at a time.

CJ Miller, a professional dog walker, greets Gunga at Crissy Field. A new S.F. law requires dog walkers to carry permits, follow safety regulations and walk eight or fewer dogs at a time.

Photo: Katie Meek, The Chronicle

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Finley waits for a treat from Angela Gardner at Crissy Field's East Beach.

Finley waits for a treat from Angela Gardner at Crissy Field's East Beach.

Photo: Katie Meek, The Chronicle

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Angela Gardner, spokeswoman for the S.F. Professional Dog Walkers Association, walks eight dogs at Crissy Field. New regulations for dog walkers limit the number of dogs that can be walked at a time to eight.

Angela Gardner, spokeswoman for the S.F. Professional Dog Walkers Association, walks eight dogs at Crissy Field. New regulations for dog walkers limit the number of dogs that can be walked at a time to eight.

Photo: Katie Meek, The Chronicle

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Angela Gardner said the eight-dog walking cap is a good compromise: Managing more can be hard and any fewer could affect income.

Angela Gardner said the eight-dog walking cap is a good compromise: Managing more can be hard and any fewer could affect income.

Photo: Katie Meek, The Chronicle

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Angela Gardner, officer with the Professional Dog Walkers Association, feeds treats to the eight dogs she walks on East Beach at Crissy Field on Friday, July 12, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif. New regulations limit the number of dogs that can be walked at a time to eight, require professional dog walkers to get permits and impose many new safety regulations. less

Angela Gardner, officer with the Professional Dog Walkers Association, feeds treats to the eight dogs she walks on East Beach at Crissy Field on Friday, July 12, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif. New regulations ... more

Photo: Katie Meek, The Chronicle

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Angela Gardner, officer with the Professional Dog Walkers Association, passes fellow dog walker, Buster Hinojosa on East Beach at Crissy Field on Friday, July 12, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif. New regulations limit the number of dogs that can be walked at a time to eight, require professional dog walkers to get permits and impose many new safety regulations. less

Angela Gardner, officer with the Professional Dog Walkers Association, passes fellow dog walker, Buster Hinojosa on East Beach at Crissy Field on Friday, July 12, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif. New regulations ... more

Photo: Katie Meek, The Chronicle

Commercial dog walkers must follow new law

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Professional dog walkers in San Francisco are on a shorter leash after new regulations took effect earlier this month. The new law requires dog walkers to obtain a license, limits the number of dogs that can be walked at one time to eight and requires a vehicle inspection and an approval of any vehicle used to transport dogs for commercial walking.

So far, the Recreation and Park Department, which is primarily responsible for the enforcement of the new rules, has been educating dog walkers on the new law, but that will soon change because unlicensed dog walkers can be fined.

"Most dog walkers do a phenomenal job, but some don't," which is why the legislation is needed, said Supervisor Scott Wiener, who authored the law. The department of Animal Care and Control is responsible for issuing permits, which cost $240 for the first year and $100 for yearly renewal thereafter. New dog walkers will be required to complete 20 hours of training before they can apply for a permit.

Additionally, Animal Care and Control makes sure that operators carry a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance.

To date, 56 dog walkers have completed the entire process and obtained their licenses and Animal Care and Control has inspected 137 vehicles.

Angela Gardner, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Professional Dog Walkers Association, estimates that the city has roughly 300 professional dog walkers, but notes that the new permitting process will help to get a much more accurate count.

However, enforcement of the new law could be a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and Police Department will assist in enforcing the law, but the primary responsibility falls on the Recreation and Park Department, which has 11 full-time park patrol officers and three supervisors.

"Anywhere from two to four officers will be on duty at any one time, patrolling 220 parks citywide, 24 hours a day," said Elton Pon, spokesman for the Recreation and Park Department. "Enforcement of the new law will be one of many park regulations our park patrol officers enforce on a daily basis."

Pon explained that the department will soon be adding six more officers to patrol the parks and that they are working to educate the public on the new laws.

Dog walkers found to be in violation of the rules will be subject to a fine up to $50 for their first offense, with fines climbing up to $500 for multiple infractions within a 12-month period.

In a city like San Francisco, where dogs outnumber children and backyards are few and far between, dog walkers play a crucial role. But, like all new legislation, there were some sticking points, according to Wiener.

"The most intense discussions were over the number of dogs. A lot of other jurisdictions max out at six, but San Francisco has a huge population of dog owners and many of them don't have yards," he said. "Because those numbers are so significant, it made sense to be less restrictive."

Most dog walkers agreed that the limit of eight dogs per walker represented a good compromise, according to Gardner.

"If it was less than that it would start to impact people's ability to make a living, but if you are walking more than eight dogs it can be hard to manage," she said.

"Our industry needs to be regulated," Gardner said. "Not everyone with a leash and a car should be allowed to be a dog walker."